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Prop. 30 is an important issue

Proposition 30 on the November ballot is a very important issue regarding school funding.

As your Inyo and Mono County Superintendents of Schools, we believe it is our obligation to inform the electorate of matters that directly affect our local schools.

Furthermore, we know that you are looking for factual, nonbiased data to make an informed decision at the ballot box.

The Governor and Legislature have placed Proposition 30 on the ballot as a means of balancing the state budget. Proposition 30 imposes a higher tax rate for high income earners (single filers over $250,000, married over $500,000 in annual income) along with increasing the sales tax rate by a quarter of a cent for four years.

If Proposition 30 passes, schools will continue to receive the same amount we are currently receiving. It should be noted that the amount we currently receive is 20 percent less than what we received four years ago.

If Proposition 30 fails, the state will immediately reduce education funding by nearly $2.5 million dollars to our local school districts for this school year and subsequent years in the amounts of:

Big Pine Unified: $112,650

Bishop Unified: $941,734

Death Valley Unified: $67,303

Eastern Sierra Unified: $204,085

Inyo County Superintendent of Schools: $174,474

Lone Pine Unified: $205,029

Mammoth Unified: $494,911

Mono County Office of Education: $154,763

Owens Valley Unified: $37,447

Round Valley School District: $49,363

Total: $2,441,759

We hope this information about funding your local school in the Eastern Sierra assists in your voting decisions.